PM’s £10k flight on the taxpayer
BORIS Johnson sent for his ministerial jet to fly home after a seaside jaunt with wife Carrie and their children.
The PM was last night accused of using government planes as his “personal taxi service” over the flight, which cost an estimated £10,000.
The trip came the weekend before the Tiverton by-election, when the Prime Minister was snapped enjoying a day on the beach with Mrs Johnson.
The PM is said to have spent the “whole weekend” campaigning ahead of the disastrous poll defeat for the Tories. Ministers are usually prohibited from using official jets for party visits.
But the Sunday Mirror can reveal a government A321 airbus, in UK livery with tail number G-GBNI, was sent from London to Royal Naval Air
Station Culdrose, near the village of Goonhusband, early on June 13. It returned to London shortly after 10am.
The airbus, which costs around £7,400 an hour to run, was in the air for a little under 90 minutes.
Emily Thornberry, Shadow Attorney General, said: “Once again, he’s been caught treating the Government’s official plane as his personal taxi service, regardless of cost to the environment or taxpayer. It’s the act of a man drunk on power.”
A No10 spokesperson said: “All travel decisions are made with consideration for security and time restraints. The PM is accompanied on government business by a delegation of staff, which is taken into consideration as part of ensuring taxpayer value for money.
“This was the sole reason for the plane being used to transport the PM and his staff back from this visit.”